I’m a Believer
[Verse 1] Then I saw her face, now I'm a I thought love was only true in believer fairy tales Not a trace of doubt in my mind Meant for someone else but not I'm in love, I'm a believer for me I couldn't leave her if I tried Love was out to get me That's the way it seemed [Solo] Disappointment haunted all my dreams [Bridge] Love was out to get me [Chorus] That's the way it seemed Then I saw her face, now I'm a Disappointment haunted all my believer dreams Not a trace of doubt in my mind I'm in love, I'm a believer! [Chorus] I couldn't leave her if I tried Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer [Verse 2] Not a trace of doubt in my mind I thought love was more or less a I'm in love, I'm a believer givin' thing I couldn't leave her if I tried Seems the more I gave the less I got Then I saw her face, now I'm a What's the use in tryin'? believer All you get is pain Not a trace of doubt in my mind When I needed sunshine I got And I'm a believer yeah yeah rain yeah yeah yeah I'm a believer [Chorus]
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"I'm a Believer" is a song composed by Neil Diamond and recorded by the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966 and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the last No. 1 hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling record for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 5 song for 1967. Because of 1,051,280 advance orders, it went gold within two days of release. It is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold more than 10 million physical copies worldwide. While originally published by Screen Gems- Columbia Music (BMI), it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC).
The song was No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in January and February 1967 and reached the top spot in numerous countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland.
The song appeared in four consecutive episodes of The Monkees TV show in December 1966.
Neil Diamond had already recorded this song before it was covered by the Monkees, and it still sometimes is performed in his live concerts. A revised recording by Diamond, featuring additional lyrics, appears on the album September Morn, while his original recording appeared on the 1967 album Just for You. Diamond also suggested it to the Fifth Estate who recorded it as a 1967 album cut to follow up their hit "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead". The Monkees' recording kept the novelty hit "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron", by the Royal Guardsmen, at No. 2 for four weeks, and from reaching the Hot 100's summit.
The song was originally used in the home video version of the Coen brothers' 1984 film Blood Simple, but after licensing issues were settled, was replaced in the 2001 director's cut by the song used in the theatrical version: Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song".
Session guitarist Al Gorgoni (who played on "The Sound of Silence" and later on "Brown Eyed Girl") had worked on Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" and also contributed to "I'm a Believer". Other personnel on the record include Sal Ditroia and Neil Diamond on guitar, Russ Savakus on bass, George Butcher and Stan Free on keyboards, George Devens on percussion, and Buddy Saltzman on drums.
The song is listed at No. 48 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.
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